


If You're Lucky

by CaffeineeOverdosee



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Crime AU, Heists!, I almost forgot, M/M, Modern AU, Slow Burn, also boyland was only mentioned exactly once as of rn, barry and lucretia are already mentioned, but im gonna tag him anyway, i didnt want to write without it tbh, i dont know if i need to tag anything else, i have so much planned holy shit its gonna be a long ride, if anyone things of anything feel free to tell me bc im bad at this, its modern but theres still magic and shit, just in case, maarvey didnt have a tag already im a pioneer?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-03
Updated: 2018-07-02
Packaged: 2019-06-01 07:44:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15138434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaffeineeOverdosee/pseuds/CaffeineeOverdosee
Summary: Taako and Merle are on a heist. Taako runs into Magnus during his mission and ends up ruining everything. With Magnus tagging along, too, Taako risks being taken to the cops. Can Magnus be trusted? Taako figures he'll find out.





	If You're Lucky

**Author's Note:**

> gsjdkflglksjdjd its finally all set  
> the first chapter  
> im gay and didnt do a final read through for typos so !! no editing we die like men  
> i actually edited a lot in comparision to what i usually do but ??? no editing we die like men

"Okay, Taako...do we need to go over the plan again?"

Taako rolls his eyes at Merle. "I would say no but you're gonna tell me anyway."

Merle gives him a look.

Taako smirks, "Go ahead then." He says, putting his hands under his chin, propping his head up on them, elbows on the seat. He flutters his eyelashes at him, just for fun. He was really loving the makeover he had to get for this job.

Then Merle started on his tangent, he pulled up maps of the casino on his hacker boy computer. Along with security feed of majority of the building, and audio feed for all of it.

He looked to Taako, "Okay, here take this." Merle says, and hands him an earpiece.

He takes it. "What the fuck is this?"

Merle looks confused and starts to explain. "It's--"

Taako interrupts him. "Wait. No. I know what it is. I want to know _why_  I have it."

"So you can hear me while you're inside...How else are we supposed to communicate?"

"You mean that I have to do this job with you yelling at me the whole time? You have got to be fucking with me."

Merle smiles. "Well, I think it'll be some good bonding time." Then he clutches his chest and lamented, "You never talk to me anymore! Taako, what has happened to us?" He cried, and faked wiping away a tear.

Taako groans, "You're the worst." He says, but lets a small smile slip by mistake.

Merle catches it and grins. "You don't mean that! You love me." 

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Taako waves a hand at him dismissively, while putting the earpiece on with the other. "Can you just go over the plan now?"

"Oh, yeah. First you get into the place, which shouldn't be a problem. You have a reservation under Barry Bluejeans."

"Merle. Listen. You _know_ that they won't believe me when I say _my_  name is Barry Bluejeans, right?" Taako flips his hair for effect. "The name just doesn't fit!"

Merle narrows his eyes at Taako and smirks a bit, "Uh huh. That's why they'll ask you for an ID."

Taako looks panicked. "We didn't make fake IDs for this job." 

"Unfortunately, this job was last notice, so we didn't have the time. Luckily, Barry let us borrow his ID, which has been enchanted to have your picture instead of his on it. You will only have about 10 to 15 minutes to show the ID, otherwise the enchantment will wear off and you'll be caught." Then, Merle digs through his pockets. "Here is the ID." He says, and hands it to Taako. 

He looks at it and hums in appreciation. "You used a good picture."

Merle scoffs. "Wasn't my idea. I wanted to use the one I got of you after you sneezed."

Taako gasps. "How could you even mention that photo!?" 

Merle chuckles heartily. "It's my favourite picture of you, how could I not?" 

Taako turns around in his seat and slumps down, pouting.

"Aw, come on Taako, I didn't even use that picture! Now are you gonna let me finish the plan or what?"

Taako glances back at him, "I guess so. Better hurry up, I just wanna get this job over with." 

"Good." Merle continues. "After you check in you need to steal the elevator keys from a janitor--"

"Wait, wait, wait. The elevator is going to be locked? Who the fuck would lock an elevator? People need to, I don't know, use it?" 

Merle looks annoyed. "You really like to interrupt, don't you? No, when you get inside the elevator you can't press the button to the vault floor without the key."

Taako seemed to be feeling the same. "Well, I have magic. What the hell do I need a key for?"

"Pan save me..." Merle mutters, but explains as patiently as he can anyway. "There are magic sensors all over the place. That's why even the ID is a risky move. Before you move any further you'll need the illusion to wear off so your magic isn't detected in the elevator."

"Oh." Taako was suddenly looking less and less forward to going inside. 

Merle recognized this and looked at Taako, a bit worried. "You sure you're up for this?"

Taako cocks an eyebrow, "Taako? Unsure? Please!" He says, and flips his hair again.

Merle just chuckles and continues on with the plan. "After you get the key and the spell wears off, head for the elevator. Don't get distracted. These people could be the sort that recognize the bounty on your head. It's not safe and could fuck everything up. Once you get down there I'll show you how to turn the magic sensors off. This way you'll be able to shrink all of it down and put it in the sack. It'll be a small, small enough to conceal in your dress as to not arouse suspicion. No problem there. Then you get out of there and come straight back to the van."

Taako nods thoughtfully. Didn't seem too hard, but then again...when was anything ever easy for him?

Merle pauses for a second before finishing. "One last thing. In the event that you do get caught, there is a plan B."

"Plan B?"

"Plan B." Merle says. "If you end up being spotted, you're free to use magic all the way down since you've already been caught. No need to worry about the magic sensors. You just get the money as fast as possible and then we blow up the building."

"With what? It's huge!" Taako yelled, he really didn't like the idea of being in a building with a bomb in it. Not only that, Merle made it sound as if this bomb would make the entire building come down. That would take a big bomb.

"Boyland and Killian already did recon on this job. They put bombs on the foundation so when activate them remotely the whole building will come down." Merle said all of this like it was no big deal that Taako was going into a building with bombs rigged to blow in it.

Taako wasn't a fan. "Y'know... I didn't exactly sign up to go into a building with a bomb in it! Not gonna happen, my dude. If you're itching to get me to go in there with bombs, you've got another thing coming. Why don't you do it and I'll be hacker dwarf for a change?" The longer Taako spoke, the higher in pitch his voice became. Which just made Merle laugh and it didn't take long for Merle to become incapacitated.

At this point he was rolling on the floor of the van in laughter. "Y-y-you--" He managed only barely to say that much before he started laughing again.

Taako almost smiled, but saved himself and forced his lips into the best pout he could manage without messing up his lipstick.

It took a couple minutes before Merle recovered. "Don't worry about the bombs. Like I said they are remote so only I can activate them."

Taako wished he could say that comforted him at least a little, but it didn't. So he sighed. "Alright fine. I'll go in, but I swear to fucking god the minute I hear that the bombs are malfunctioning and you can't control them anymore. I am out of there." 

Merle smiled. "Deal. You better get going then. You only have about 10 minutes left with the ID."

Taako couldn't have moved faster. In a dash, he whipped the door open and slammed in behind him in one fluid movement.

Then he began walking toward the casino doors. It was slightly windy outside so his long dress flowed in the wind, and can was loving it. He made sure that his strides were longer than usual so the dress flowed better. If he was going into a building that was possibly going to blow up the least he could do was look good while doing it.

They had parked close to the building so it was easy for him to get there within his 10 minute time window. When he made it inside the room was warm and the room buzzed with excitement. Everyone was talking and laughing without a care in the world.

Taako didn't have the time for that. He made a beeline straight for the check-in desk. 

"Hail and well met." The concierge said. "How can I help you this evening?"

"I have a reservation for Barry Bluejeans." He says, the name rolling off of his tongue in a way he didn't enjoy.

The concierge took a moment to search for his name. "Ah, yes. Mr. Bluejeans. ID, please?"

Taako complied and handed him Barry's ID, praying that the spell wouldn't wear off in those moments.

The concierge looks it over and gives the ID back. "Yep. Everything checks out. Have a good night, Mr. Bluejeans, sir."

"Yeah, sure. You too." Taako says, absentmindedly, and walks away. "Mr. Bluejeans..." He murmurs to himself, "Pssh!"

Then there crackling noises in his ear, like radio interference. "Ta--o? Co-- i--" It took a moment but eventually Merle's voice could be heard clearly. "Taako? Taako, can you hear me?"

"Unfortunately," Taako mutters.

"Thank Pan, I found the right frequency." Merle says. "There is a bar down to the left. You can't miss it. If you move quickly enough there should be a janitor there wh--"

Taako butts in, "Is the key on them?"

"No, it's on a key ring on the cart."

When he was in view of the bar, he walked slower, scanning the area as he grew closer. The janitor was inside mopping and the cart was close by him. The further he walked into the bar, the more he could see of the mess that the janitor was cleaning up. It was a lot bigger than most messes tended to be. It looked as if several bottles of wine had been dropped.

There was a familiar woman who was apologizing profusely to a bartender. She was was wearing a uniform. She worked here. She must have dropped a case of the stuff on her way into the back.

Taako walked past the janitor and took a seat next to the cart. He looked over to the worker who had dropped the case of wine and she looked back at him. It was at this moment that Taako finally got a good look at her face.

Killian.

"I know it's your first day, but you need to be more careful!" The bartender says, exasperatedly. 

Killian glances over at Taako when the bartender begins scolding her. Taako watches the whole thing and smirks at her. He desperately wants to tease her about dropping the wine, but that would blow their cover.

The bartender notices the exchange, and realizes that she has a customer and rushes over to Taako. "Ah! Sorry about the mess. What can I get ya?"

"Oh, I'll have a champagne. Really feeling like I deserve one." He says, like he has the money to spend.

Killian has to suppress a chuckle as she heads to the back. Taako watches her go, and grins. 

"You got it," they say, and whisk away to the back. 

He was now alone in the bar with the janitor.

The janitor was on the opposite side of the room, doing their best to keep the mess at least a bit more contained. Taako glances at him, and takes this opportunity to snatch the keys off the cart.

Unfortunately, this was not a quiet process and the janitor whipped around to look at him. In a flash, Taako got up and made it look like he had stumbled into the cart on accident. He made sure his hands were behind the cart and weren't visible to the janitor.

"Oof, that was my bad! Sorry!!" he says, and watches the janitor roll their eyes and turn back to his work.

"Good save there, Taako." Merle's voice butts in.

Taako opens his mouth for a _spicy_ retort, but is saved from blowing his cover by the bartender returning from the back with his champagne.

"Ooo! Thank you," He says, and takes a sip.

"You're welcome!" and she was gone again.

"Taako? You need to go now. You really don't need to make this job har--" His voice cuts out.

"Mute button!" He murmurs, just loud enough for him to hear and secretly he hopes Merle to heard, too.

He hums, content. The least Merle could do was wait for Taako to finish his champagne. Until then, the earpiece would stay muted so he could drink in peace. Was that so much to ask?

\---

Magnus shifted his weight from foot to foot in a display of discomfort.

Left.

Right.

Left again.

Right again.

He wasn't a gambler and he didn't like how little he knew about the...gambler culture. His rustic charms were useless here. He was out of his element. And that made him uncomfortable. 

He was on a business trip, if you could call it that. He was a freelance carpenter now that the Hammer and Tong was...gone. He had been offered a huge job by a man by the name of Maarvey. Maarvey owned a large car manufacturer that Magnus had never heard of before. He didn't exactly care to learn about it either.

Either way, here he was. On a business trip he was forced to be on so he could make enough money to live.

He didn't exactly understand why he had to be here. He didn't even have the job yet. Maarvey still had to convince his colleagues that Magnus was "the right fit for the company."

Maybe that was why he was here. To make a good first impression on the several other business men that were also on this "business trip."

So far, from the looks of it, he wasn't doing a very good job. The other men kept sending him odd glances from their seats at the poker table. He did his best to ignore it, instead he smiled politely at them. He _needed_  this job, a few odd glances aren't going to stop him from getting it.

"...and Magnus here can make beautiful furniture for the new offices!" Just as Magnus tunes back in, Maarvey finishes his spiel. He slaps Magnus on his back best he could from his seat, since Magnus was the only one standing. 

"How quickly can you make all of the furniture that we need?" One of the other men asks, Magnus thinks his name is Barbara. He can't really remember 

"A few months as far as I can tell." He says, trying to keep it as vague as he could.

Barbara hums and nods. "Yeah. He will do."

Magnus has to supress a disgusted look, he didn't exactly enjoy the way _that_ was put. He did his best to ignore it.

"Great!" Maarvey began speaking again. "Glad you agree. So how 'bout it Mr. Burnsides? You up for the job?"

Magnus forces a grin. "I wouldn't be here if I wasn't, sir." 

Maarvey cackles and slams his hand against Magnus's back again. As Magnus is much bigger than Maarvey, he was unfazed, but Magnus fakes a flinch just in case he did it in a display of power.

Men like this were always displaying their supposed dominance, it's just how it was. And as much as Magnus hated it, he needed to show that he could and would obey them. It was the only way he could be _sure_ he'd keep the job.

"Alright then! It's settled." He says. "Back to poker then, boys." 

Then they turned their attention away from Magnus and dealt a hand. Magnus took this opportunity to slip away.

Unfortunately, this wasn't the end of the "business trip," he was expected to be there all weekend. So, instead of leaving completely he walked around and explored.

There was so many things to do here, but none of them were of any interest to Magnus. Slots, poker, roulette. Lucky for him, there was a bar, and there was absolutely something Magnus enjoyed doing that could be done in a bar. Drinking.

When he walked in, it looked pretty barren. No one was there save for a janitor, and a man sitting at the bar sipping contentedly at his champagne.

And can Magnus just say? This man was gorgeous. His long limbs were sprinkled with freckles, and his long hair was tossed around his shoulder to save it from being ruined. The long flowing dress he was wearing hugged his body in all the perfect spots.

Magnus's face felt hot just looking at him, and he forced himself further into the bar. If Magnus was going to stare, he may as well do it while talking to him.

He walked over and took a seat next to him on the side that wasn't obscured by the janitor's cart.

"Hey," Magnus says simply.

The man apparently hadn't heard him sit next to him and only just now acknowledged  Magnus's presence. "Hmm? Oh. Hail and well met, my dude." He hums in contemplation for a moment, then turns to look at Magnus completely. "Just the two of us here, huh?"

Magnus was caught off guard by this guy's face. His eyes were thin and dark, and his lips looked like the softest things Magnus had ever laid his eyes upon. 

He stares for a split second more, then he snaps himself out of it to respond. "Yeah!" He says suddenly. "Yeah, you would think more people would be here."

The man shakes his head, "I don't think so. They're all too busy wasting their money on gambling." He looks bitter.

Magnus nods in agreement. "That is kind of the point of this place, isn't it?"

The man looked back to his champagne and frowned.

Magnus slips off his jacket and rolls up his sleeves. He couldn't handle this garb for much longer, "What are you here for? If you hate gambling so much?"

He didn't look up. "Work."

"What a coincidence. That's why I'm here, too." Magnus chuckled. "Weird place to be working, don't you think?"

"I do what I have to." The man's tone gets sharp suddenly, and Magnus is startled for a moment.

Magnus continued anyway. "I never caught your name."

"I never threw it."

Magnus hums. "I'm Magnus." He pauses before adding, "Burnsides." He says, sticking out his hand for a handshake. He was hoping that his rustic charms would kick in soon. This guy seemed to be in the same boat he was, maybe he could build off of that relatability. 

The man turns back to Magnus, looks to Magnus's hand and then back to his face. Then he takes Magnus's hand and says, "I'm T-- Barry. I'm Barry Bluejeans."

Magnus's eyebrow cocked in confusion. "You don't look like a Barry," he says, but then smiles to show he was joking.

"Tell me about it!" He smiles back.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Barry."

"Let me buy you a drink?" Barry asks, running his fingers around the edge of his champagne glass.

"I'd like that."

And it was at that moment an orc woman comes back out from the back. Barry and this woman exchange a look, like they knew each other. "What do you want?" She asks him. 

Barry looks to Magnus, "Well? What do you want?"

Magnus doesn't even have to think about it. "Ale." 

Barry nods at the bartender and she whisks away to the back.

"You know her?"

There was a split second in which Barry looked panicked, you wouldn't ever be able to tell unless you were staring at him. And you'd better believe that's exactly what Magnus was doing.

"You could say that's true." He says.

Magnus wanted to prod him for further details, but Barry wasn't letting him in it seemed. So, instead, he just nods.

And it was in that moment that Magnus decided he would get Barry to open up to him somehow.

The orc woman comes back and slides the ale to Magnus, then turns away again and heads back into the kitchen.

Barry watched Magnus take a sip for a moment, like he was hesitating. Then he asks, "What sort of job do you have that requires you to come here?" 

"Ah...I'm a freelance carpenter. My new client needed to convince his co-workers that I was good for the job. This was the venue they chose to have that meeting." Magnus shrugged. "A stupid place for a business trip, if you ask me."

Barry laughs and wipes away a fake tear for dramatic effect. "Of all the places they could have chosen tonight, huh? How long are you stuck here?"

"All weekend..." Magnus suddenly feels exhausted. He takes a swig of ale.

"All weekend? Have they not decided yet?" Barry looked alarmed for a moment.

"No, they have. Took 'em ten minutes. I just can't leave until they do, too. That would be unprofessional. At least...I think it would be. What's the etiquette here?"

Barry laughs again, but it's hollow this time. "Don't ask me, bug guy. I have no idea."

Magnus hums. Barry had finished his champagne already, and Magnus takes one last gulp of his ale before it is gone.

He reaches into his pocket and feels a few loose gold pieces in his pocket. This gave him an idea. "I have a few gold pieces...wanna go try a slot machine with me?"

Magnus figured they could talk more if they were doing something together. He didn't know what it was, but there was something about Barry that made him want to get to know him better. Like they were destined...to be together?

That sounded weird. Maybe not like that but--

Barry suddenly became very cold. "You're a big boy. Why don't you try it yourself?"

Magnus is taken aback for a moment.  "Mmm... Yeah, okay." He says, recovering quickly.

At least that's what he thought.

He was, after all, a big softy who was bad at hiding his feelings.

In reality, he looked pretty upset at such a rejection.

Barry rolled his eyes. "Fine. Let's go." He says, and grabs Magnus's hand and dragged him off in the direction of the slot machines.

\---

Taako knew this was a bad idea. Getting attached to a perfect stranger.

He knew he should turn his earpiece back on.

He knew he was in for an earful if he did.

He knew he should focus on the job.

He knew his friends were counting on him.

Taako knew a lot of things.

But there was a big different between knowing something and acknowledging it.

So Taako ignored it all. 

He was in a building that was rigged to blow, and he wasn't exactly the luckiest person when it came to things going as planned.

That was why he decided he may as well have a bit of fun before screwing up the mission and dying in an explosion that was sort of his own fault.

The closest thing to fun you could have in this place without money was leeching off of this big bear of a guy he met at the bar. What was his name? Manny? Taako couldn't remember.

Either way he was dragging him to where he was pretty sure the slot machines were, but he couldn't be sure. Merle wasn't around to tell him.

Magnus didn't object to the direction he was being dragged in, so Taako assumed he was going the right way.

"Hey, um..." Magnus started, but hesitated and Taako panicked. He was going the wrong way wasn't he?

He slowed down and looked at Magnus. "Hmm?"

"I just wanted to say... it's just really nice to meet someone friendly in this place."

He almost looks nervous and Taako smiles.

"You're a big sap...but yeah. It is nice." Taako says, looking forward again. Scanning the room ahead of him for the slot machines Magnus mentioned.

Just out of the corner of his eye, Taako could see Magnus smile a big toothy grin. He had a gap between his teeth and the brightest eyes Taako had ever seen. He looked like a kid on Candlenights. It took all that Taako had in him to refrain from smiling back.

They eventually made it to a room that Taako decided looked like slot machines could be...but Taako had no idea.

Taako stopped and so did Magnus. "Hey, big guy? You were the one who saw the slot machines. Why am I leading the way?" Taako says, cocking an eyebrow, but was still smiling through it all.

Magnus laughed. "You wanted to! I'll take it from here."

But before they could go a man called for Magnus. "Burnsides!" He said, sitting at a poker table too far away for him to be talking to Magnus.

Magnus turned toward the man and out of curiosity, so did Taako.

The man was very familiar, but Taako couldn't determine why exactly. Now, though, he was even more curious.

Magnus sighs. "That's my client...do you mind if I?"

"Not at all, in fact... could I tag along?" Taako knew a familiar face wasn't always a good thing, but that didn't seem to slow down his curiosity.

Magnus looked surprised, but nodded anyway.

So the pair headed over to the man, who wasn't alone. He had the co-workers Magnus mentioned still sitting around him. They all stared at them as they walked over, which was...unnerving.

"Magnus! I see you've found a friend?" The man says, and turns his gaze to Taako.

The longer they look at each other, the more familiar they become to each other. Then, it hits them both where they've met before.

It was Maarvey. Taako met this man when he was on a job. This job just so happened to be stealing a painting the man won from an auction several years ago. It was only sitting there collecting dust. It should have been an easy steal but Taako was spotted on the way out.

Spotted by none other than the man he was standing in front of right now.

"It's you." Maarvey says, voice strained. He recovers a bit, and in the most polite way he can says, "It's good to see you again." And holds out his hand.

Taako doesn't want to, but that would blow his cover. He takes Maarvey's hand and shakes it. "A pleasure...to see you again." He says and tries to pull away, but Maarvey's grip on him tightens so he can't escape.

"You've met before?" Magnus's gaze moves to his client, and then to Taako.

"We sure have. 

"A real delight--" Taako pulls his hand from Maarvey's grip. He feels his wrist pop back into place. "To see you again, but I really should go." He starts backing away slowly. "It was nice to meet you, too, Magnus." He says, his gaze lingering on Magnus just a moment longer before he turns and runs off in the direction they came.

"Barry! Wait!" Magnus calls after him, but to no avail. Taako doesn't turn back.

"Is that what he told you his name is?"

Magnus doesn't move for a moment. He looks back at Maarvey, confused, but turns back around again and stares at the path Taako took out of the room.

He takes a couple steps toward the direction Taako ran off in, but is stopped by a hand on his shoulder. "I'll double your pay if you catch him and bring him back to me." Maarvey says, voice low.

Magnus doesn't hear him. He pulls his shoulder away and runs after Taako, not even looking back.

The man watches him go and scowls. He snaps and a couple men who were standing around the poker table walk over to him.

"Go after those two. Bring them to me." He says, and they rush off.

\---

Taako sees the elevator. He can make it, just this hallway and he was home free. No one could follow him from there.

That was before he looked behind him and saw Magnus turns the corner. "Barry! What the fuck is going on?"

Taako slows, but not much. He doesn't look at Magnus and says, "Listen, Mango. If you're going to get anywhere in life, you need to get away from me."

The pair reaches the elevator, and Taako begins pressing the elevator button over and over and over again in hopes the elevator shows up quicker. 

"Barry-- if that is your name-- You have to tell me what's happening!" Magnus stood behind Taako, blocking him from the sights of the goons that were looking for him.

Taako looks past Magnus at the men, you could barely tell from here but there was something in their hands. Then it hit him.

Guns.

These men had guns. 

Taako glanced back at Magnus. He looked confused and angry and...scared? Maybe he saw it, too, but Taako doesn't have time to do anything about that. The elevator doors open. Taako steps inside, and so does Magnus.

"What do you think you're doing?" Taako puts a hand on Magnus's chest, as if to try and stop him from gettin on.

It doesn't work in the slightest. Magnus pushes him aside and gets on, anyway. He never seems to move out of the position in front of Taako. Like he is blocking Taako from the door.

Realization hits Taako and his eyes are filled with anger. "Are you trying to stop me?"

The elevator doors shut and Taako feels trapped.

Magnus looks more confused now, like the idea had never even occurred to him. "What? No! I'm going to protect you. Those guys back there had guns. They want to kill you."

Taako scoffed, "Aw, you've never seen a gun before? Never been shot at? Well, you get used to it, my man. That's just how it is." 

Magnus stays quiet.

Taako doesn't wait for Magnus to say anything more, he clicks the key into the vault floor button and turns it. The elevator lurches and begins heading down.

"Wh-- Wait, where are we going?" Magnus glances around the elevator in alarm.

"Down." Is all Taako says. He turns his earpiece back on and hears Merle cursing on the other side. "Merle? Merle, are you there?"

He almost instantly regrets turning the earpiece back on, as the minute he asks for Merle he hears him roar, "TAAKO! What the fuck is going on in there?"

Taako rolls his eyes, but manages a smile. "It's a long story, but I'm afraid we are going to be having some problems when..." Taako pauses and looks at Magnus. "We come back up from the vault."

Keyboard clacking and radio scratching can be heard on the other end while Merle stays silent for a moment. "Who's we?" He asks.

"Ah...just some guy I picked up. It's a long story." Taako says, watching the screen near the ceiling of the elevator. The numbers continue to get lower until the screen flashes the letters VLT, in red. "We need to get the sensors off." 

The elevator doors slide open, and without hesitation Magnus steps out. Taako was a bit more careful, people had to know what he was doing now, right?

He slides past Magnus, and walks down the hallway and tries to unlock the room to the vault with the keys he stole.

"Who are you talking to?" Magnus murmurs, as if he was trying his best not to interrupt the cryptic conversation he can only hear half of.

Taako doesn't respond. He only brushes his hair out of the way of his ear, and taps the earpiece. 

Magnus nods, and Taako turns his attention back to trying to get the key to work and Merle say, "Oh, so that's the other half in we, huh?" Merle had heard Magnus; Merle pauses for a moment and you can almost hear the grin in his voice. "Is he hot?"

Taako's face goes hot with anger and a bit of embarrassment, but mostly anger. "Merle. You're on thin fucking ice, my man. The key I stole for the elevator isn't working for the second door. I've already been caught. I'm using a spell."

"No! That will only make it worse! They don't know what you're doing do they?"

Taako hums, growing more anxious by the second. "Remember our last heist? The one with the painting?"

"Yeah? What about it?"

"Well, the mark, Maarvey or whoever the fuck? He was here. And he recognized me. He knows what's up, my dude, and there is no way around that." 

Merle groans and stays quiet. As quiet as Merle could be at least.

"Move." Magnus says, "I can lockpick the door."

Taako raises his eyebrows, "You do know what I'm trying to do don't you?"

"Yeah. I know." Magnus stares right into Taako's eyes, "Are you going to move or what?"

Taako steps out of the way with his hands raised. "Sure thing. Merle? I think we've got it."

"Oh thank, Pan..."

\---

Magnus went to work on the lock, and...Not-Barry stood off to the side. The three of them quiet, if only for a moment.

"What's your name? Your real name." Magnus breaks the silence.

"I already told you my name." Not-Barry says. Apparently, he wasn't sure he trusted Magnus yet, even if there was no reason not to trust him.

"That isn't your name." Magnus was upset, but covered it up as the lock clicked and the door swings open. Magnus walks through. "The least you could do is be honest with me. I'm destroying my future to help you."

Not-Barry scoffs, "Well, did you really have that bright of a future? If you did, you wouldn't be helping me."

"I..." Magnus closes his mouth, he was right. The job that he was working so hard go get wasn't going to pay well enough for him to survive longer than a month...

Maybe he should take up the offer of double if he brings...whatever his name is...back to Maarvey.

Bringing him back was the best option for Magnus. He would leave here with a job, double the pay he was anticipating, and he wouldn't be in jail for being an accomplice.

But something in Magnus told him not to. That there was a second option. A better way.

Magnus didn't completely believe this feeling, but that didn't mean he wouldn't follow it to the ends of the earth to help anyone he possibly can. Even if it didn't help him in the long run.

"How are we opening the vault?" Magnus stares at it, it's big, metal and looks pretty thick. He was certain they weren't going to be able to force their way through. Unfortunate. Smashing into things was somewhat his specialty.

"I have a spell that will make it open no problem." 

"Great! What are you waiting for?"

"Merle needs to walk us through turning off the magic sensors and the alarms first. Otherwise I can't even cast the spell without getting caught. So, slow down, big guy. The least we could do is do this right."

Then he starts muttering to himself, angrily. He looked sort of insane, but since Magnus knew he had an earpiece he supposed it made sense.

Magnus decides to interrupt before things get too out of hand. "Okay, well how to we turn them off?"

The two seem to stop arguing for a minute and Not-Barry walks over to the wall on the opposite side of the room as the vault. He tears a panel off the wall and revealed are a bundle of wires He grabs two of them. One black, one gold.

"Let's see..." He murmurs and scans the room, still holding the wires.

Magnus watches him for a moment, "Need to cut them?"

"Why? You bring scissors?" He scoffs.

Magnus pulls a dagger from his belt, "Nah."

Not-Barry looks at Magnus for a moment, and narrows his eyes. Then, he takes it and cuts the wires easily. "Did it work?"

Magnus can just barely hear the other voice respond. "Well? Did it?" Magnus asks.

Not-Barry looked at Magnus and says, "I guess we will just have to find out, my dude. If an alarm goes off and guards come for us, I'd just like you to know, that Merle told me which wires to cut."

Not-Barry walks over to the vault door and casts a spell. Magnus can't tell what spell, he isn't someone who is fluent in magics, but it seemed to do the trick as the vault door swung open.

"Thank God, you didn't fuck it up." Not-Bar--

Magnus was growing tired of not knowing this guy's real name. "So, Merle is your partner in crime, huh? Is that his real name?" 

Magnus stared at him while he shoved gold pieces he made smaller into a small bag.

"Fuck... Listen, I know you know Barry isn't my name. But I'm not going to tell you what it really is. I am stealing hundreds of gold pieces right in front of your eyes, that's dangerous enough for my tastes. In fact, this whole thing is dangerous enough without you. The building is set to blow! And we could be blown up with it if Merle proves to be the idiot I know he is. I don't need you bothering me about my name while I'm already under all this pressure! It doesn't matter who I am anyway. If your luck turns, after tonight you'll never see me again."

And with that he managed to get all of the gold pieces into his small bag, tied it off and began walking out of the vault door. 

Magnus followed him.

He wasn't worried about the building being blown to pieces, nor was he worried about the dangers of his new mission. All he could think about was protecting his new companion. Magnus owed him that much at least. He did make it much harder for the guy to get his job done...whatever that job may be. And Magnus knew how difficult getting by could he and understood why turning to a life of crime was the way to turn the tables.

"I don't think I was unlucky." Magnus says, taking his place next to his new accomplice in the elevator. Magnus didn't look at him when he said it...But out of the corner of his eye he saw his new partner gape at Magnus for a moment. 

When Magnus looked back over he was looking away, at the corner of the elevator.

He pressed a button and pulled his hand back in toward himself. "It's Taako."

"What?"

Taako looks over at Magnus expectantly. "I'm Taako?" He pauses upon seeing Magnus's blank expression. "Y'know, from TV?"

"I don't watch TV." Magnus feels his face go hot. Why was Taako looking at him like that? "What were you in?

"You've never heard of Taako? I'm on the news _all_ the time. You don't even watch the news?"

"It's always about bad stuff. I don't want to hear it." Magnus says, watching the number of floors reach closer to one, the lobby floor.

Why did the elevator ride up seem so much longer than the one down?

That's when Magnus realized. On the panel of buttons floor one wasn't lit, seven was.

Taako was mumbling to himself about how he worked hard to look good on TV while he was off committing crimes. All for nothing!

"Taako?" Magnus watches the numbers pass one. 

Two...

Three...

Four...

Taako paused his rant. "What?" He asks, exasperatedly.

"Where are we going?"

"Floor seven."

"...Why?" Magnus watches the doors slide open.

"They think we will come back up to the lobby floor. They'll be waiting for us there once they realize we were already down in the vault." Taako rolled his eyes. "Amateurs..." He says, walking out of the elevator. 

Magnus follows, only a step behind Taako. "Right. How are we getting down?"

Taako waves his fingers over his shoulder at Magnus.

Magnus got the message.

Magic.

The pair walks down the hallway until they reach the end, where a window was located.

Taako pops it open and looks down. After a moment of looking at the ground he begins climbing out of the window, muttering about how his dress was terribly inconvienent.

But damn if he didn't look good.

Magnus just watched him go.

"Well?" Taako stares at Magnus expectantly. "Are you comin'?"

"Yeah." Magnus says and climbs out the window, too.

The two stood for a second, clinging to the ledge under the window. 

And in that second the elevator doors slide open and out walks a security guard. He looks around and when he sees Taako and Magnus hanging outside the window he runs at them.

"Um... Taako?"

"Yeah, yeah." Taako says, and he leaps off the side of the building. 

Magnus gasps out of reflex and reaches to catch Taako, but he misses and found that Taako was floating with ease.

He looks back into the building, the security guard is near the end of the hall.

"Just let go!" Taako yells up at Magnus when he hits the ground.

The security guard makes it to the window just as Magnus jumps forward off the ledge. 

And he falls. The world seemed to move slower and in those moments Magnus looks at the sky. He feels like he could reach up and touch it. He feels like he could fly.

Magnus lands simply, no broken limbs, no concussions, nothing.

Damn, did Magnus love magic.

Magnus looks to Taako and is smiling ear to ear. "Thanks!"

Taako's face turns red. "Yeah. Whatever. The van's this way." He says, and jogs off, Magnus not far behind.

Just before they are out of earshot Magnus hears the security growl in frustration and the crackle of a radio. "They jumped out a window on the seventh floor. They're in the parking lot heading east. Get dow..." 

Magnus runs faster.

And eventually they reach the van, finally, after running across the entirety of the parking lot that was too large for its own good.

Taako is hunched over and out of breath, while Magnus stands tall, not even breaking a sweat.

"We ran across a whole parking lot how are you not tired?" Taako pants, staring at Magnus in borderline anger.

Magnus flexes his muscles and grins. "I work out." 

"Sure you do, buddy." Taako moves one of his hands from his knees to pat Magnus in the lowest place he could reach without getting up all the way, which just so happened to be Magnus's hip. "Get in the van. You're driving." He says, handing Magnus the keys, then slinks over to the passenger's side.

Magnus shrugs and gets in. 

Merle, at least Magnus assumes it's Merle, is in the back.

"Hey! It's 'some guy.' I'm Merle," The dwarf says, holding his hand out for a hand shake.

Magnus knew that, but was surprised to see that Merle had no trouble sharing his name despite being a criminal. They had only just met why was Taako so careful and Merle so careless? They were a team aren't they supposed to be on the same page? He couldn't decide if that made Merle trusting or an idiot.

Magnus liked to think it made him trusting.

From the look Taako was giving Merle, he probably thought Merle was the latter.

Magnus takes Merle's hand and shakes it. "I'm Magnus. A pleasure to meet you."

Taako slids into the passenger's seat and "Great. Now that we are all aquainted can we go now?" Taako was tapping at the dashboard impatiently. He seemed anxious to get out of there.

"Not yet." Merle says. "Do we need to--"

"No. Don't. We got out." Taako says.

"Okay." Merle says, and begins typing in a few commands on his computer.

"What are we do--" Magnus is interrupted by a huge explosion. He turns back toward the building and finds that it is demolished.

"They...They tried to--" Merle couldn't finish his thought.

Taako doesn't even blink. Merle turns his head away from Magnus. 

Magnus felt his hand cover his mouth in a lame attempt to calm his stomach. He felt tears well in his eyes. He felt those things, sure, but that didn't stop him from feeling numb at the same time.

Taako glances over at Magnus. "Just...drive."

So he did.

He had no idea where they were going or what exactly had just happened. He didn't think about that. He kept driving.

He kept driving when he saw the fire trucks, police cars, and ambulances rush toward the scene. He kept driving when they were low on gas. He just kept driving.

After three hours of driving...or was it four? Magnus lost track... Magnus was starting to nod off.

During these three, possibly four, hours, Taako was watching Magnus to make sure he was in okay enough shape to drive. Magnus had noticed all of Taako's glances. Surely, he was doing it for himself, to make sure they didn't crash. Magnus figured that was the kind of person Taako was, always looking out for himself.

"Merle?" Taako twists around in his seat to look at the dwarf in the back of the van. "Are we far enough?"

Merle had managed to fall asleep. He jerks awake when he hears his name. "I'd hope. Let's stop for the night." He grumbles, upset at being woken up.

"Where are we going?" Magnus finally asked. He had decided he recovered enough from the night's ordeals to start asking questions. Not important questions, but questions. Baby steps.

"Whatever cheap motel you see first. Stop there." Taako didn't look at him. He just turned around to face the window and pretended to sleep.

It didn't take Magnus much longer to find a motel. They may have been in the middle of nowhere but he has a knack for these sorts of things. 

"We're here." Magnus says, parking the car. 

The motel they stop at seems to be falling apart at the seems. The paint is stripping off the walls, the windows aren't clear anymore from the lack of cleaning being done, the parking lot is infested by weeds growing through the cracks in, and the neon sign has several of its lights out. 

Merle gets out of the back, but Taako doesn't move.

"Taako?" Magnus reached out to tap him on the back.

"Don't." Taako said, he didn't even glance at Magnus, he stared at the car door. Magnus opened his mouth to respond but Taako continued, his voice strained. "Don't do that." 

Merle came around to the side of the van and opens the passenger's door. When he sees Taako his tired expression falters for a moment to reveal something else. Magnus thinks its concern, but he can't say, it disappeared so quickly.

"Taako?" Merle said, "Are you coming?"

Taako wraps his arms around himself tighter and looks down at the ground, "Fuck off."

Merle looks up at Magnus, "Let's go."

Magnus just nods and gets out of the car, meeting Merle on the otherside. The two of them walk out into the lobby of the motel.

The inside of the lobby looks just as beaten down as the outside of the building did. One of the lights in the ceiling is flickering, another one is of completely. The tile floor was sticky. The wallpaper had spots of clean bright colour, as if the furniture had recently been moved around after decades of not cleaning a thing.

Shortly after walking in, Merle interrupts the silence that had developed between them. "Do you want your own room?"

Magnus tries to respond... "I don't--"

But is interrupted, by Merle who apparently wasn't done talking. "You've only just met us, it wouldn't be fair to make you room with us."

"Would you guys mind? If I roomed with you? I have...questions." That and Magnus didn't want to be alone tonight, but Merle didn't need to know that part. Magnus felt that Merle would be convinced enough.

Merle laughs, full and heartily, as if tonight wasn't a huge disaster. "Yeah. I expected that."

Magnus smiles back at him. He was glad they got along well enough so far. He had a feeling this wouldn't be the end of their adventures.

Merle walks up to the front desk and Magnus does too, but stands behind Merle. Letting him do all the talking. 

The receptionist was quite pleasant, despite the ungodly hour. Magnus couldn't have been happier to meet someone nice after a night like this.

"Hello. What can I do for you today?" The receptionist smiled at them.

Magnus smiles back, Merle does not.

"We need a room, there's three of us."

"Okay! We only have a room with two beds will that suit you?" They smile, a bit nervous since Merle was suddenly being so cold.

"That's fine." Merle says, and behind him Magnus tries to pick up the social slack by smiling at the receptionist.

They smile back. "Okay! When will you be checking out?"

"Tomorrow."

"You got it! Here are your keys. Your room number is 213 and it should be on the second floor down to your right. Enjoy your night, gentlemen." They said, sliding them a key card to each of them.

"Thank you." Magnus says, and the two head back outside.

Merle opens up the back of the van and grabs his computer. He doesn't seem to care about anything else, so he shuts the van doors again.

In those seconds before Merle shut the doors, Magnus caught a glimpse of Taako. He hadn't seemed to move at all since the went inside.

Merle noticed Magnus looking at Taako, and looks over to him for a second. "Worried?"

Magnus shrugs. "We've only just met. I shouldn't be."

"But you are."

"Yeah. I guess."

Merle scoffs. "You guess." And walks back inside the motel.

Magnus doesn't follow. He stays outside, sitting on the curb next to the van, waiting a few more minutes to give Taako the time he needed alone. 

He supposed he needed this time alone, too. To think back on what happened tonight.

Magnus doesn't think he regretted helping Taako and Merle steal the money. He didn't know what they were doing with it, but a gut feeling told Magnus that they deserved it more than anyone else in that casino. His gut also told him that he could trust them.

Magnus was made up of a lot of gut feelings.

Either way... he didn't feel that any of those people deserved to die. What had happened? What made the bombs go off? He just didn't understand.

He puts his face in his hands and chokes back sobs. And he stays like that, forgetting that Merle would expect him soon, forgetting that Taako was still in the car.

Oh, how he longed to be home. He missed it so much... No. He missed Julia. He missed her strong hands and her perfect eyes. Anywhere with Julia there was home for him.

But, she gone now. Missing her wouldn't bring her back...Not that this harsh reality would stop Magnus from trying.

It is a good thing Taako came out of the car of his own accord because Magnus was lost in his own miserable world.

When Taako opened the back of the van to grab his own things, Magnus wiped his tears away and looked at him. "Ready to go inside?" Magnus asks.

Taako only hums in acknowledgement, noncommittal, like he wasn't really listening to the question. He grabs a duffel bag and slings it over his shoulder. "Comin'?"

Magnus nods and gets up from his seat on the curb, following Taako into the building. 

"What room?" Taako glances behind himself to look at Magnus.

"213."

Taako nods and heads to the elevator. They pass by the receptionist's desk. Magnus waves at them, and it makes him feel just a bit better when they wave back.

They head back out of the lobby again, and end up outside behind the building. The air cool, the sky dark. The elevator was in the middle of the lone long building, and there was a section of ceiling you could assume would be the pathway to the second floor.

Magnus calls the elevator, and the single button shines a dim red.

_Ding!_

The elevator was ready for them, already on the first floor, so they silently walked inside.

The elevator is creaky and slow. Most likely because if it went any faster something would surely break. And judging by the way Taako was death gripping the handlebar on the elevator's wall, he wasn't a huge fan of elevators. Especially, creaky slow ones.

Magnus didn't remember whether or not Taako was this upset in the first elevator they were in. He didn't seem to be...But Magnus supposed that wasn't a good example. Adrenaline and all.

Magnus grabbed the handle bar, too. Placing his hand close to Taako's in hopes his proxomity would help at least a little. 

Taako's grip loosens on the bar.

The elevator door opens to reveal the second floor. A sign on the wall right in front of them reads: "<\-- 201-210 211-215 -->"

The motel was not very big. The walk to their room was short, and for that Magnus was glad. He was tired. Not tired enough where Taako and Merle would be able to avoid questioning, but tired.

Taako moved aside to let Magnus unlock the room.

He pulls the key out of his pocket... It was almost funny. This key was the only thing that was _his_ anymore. And tomorrow he would have to give it away. Leaving him with nothing.

 

\---

When Magnus swings the door open, Taako can hear Merle snore, which is bad news for Taako. The least he could have done was stay awake long enough to help fend off Magnus's inevitable questions. At least until tomorrow. Tomorrow he would be recovered from this disaster of a night-- Well, not a total disaster. They got the money, at least.

But now, he would have to go it alone. Which was at the very top of Taako's list of things he'd prefer never to do.

Taako throws his bag on the bed Merle wasn't on and takes out a different outfit. As tired as he was, he wouldn't be caught dead sleeping in such a dress. It would be wrinkled as all hell the next morning and there was no way Taako would let that happen.

"I'm gonna change." Taako says, and walks into the small bathroom inside the room... Not that it was any of Magnus's business what he was doing inside the bathroom.

"Okay." Magnus says, his eyes following Taako as he walked inside.

He shuts the door behind him.

Taako slips out of his dress and throws on a huge shirt. It covered most of his thighs, and that was good enough for him. He'd keep the acrylic nails, but the rest of the makeover would have to go... He didn't know how he felt about that. He looked sexy as hell with it on and he'd have to go back out there with Magnus, a stranger, without it? It was almost like being naked.

"Fuck it." He murmurs to himself. And starts cleaning off all the makeup, rubbing until his face turned red.

It took him a while to get it all off, so long that Magnus grew worried enough to check on him. Which is something Taako should have expected, it seemed like the kind of person Magnus was. Too kind for his own god damn good.

"Taako?" Magnus knocks on the door lightly This was a surprise to Taako because Magnus looked like a beast who could knock the door right off its hinges. 

Taako opens the door, and leans against the frame. "What?"

Magnus stands there starstruck with his lips parted slightly. He looks like he just had the wind knocked out of him. And damn, did Taako like it.

"You good, big guy?" Taako waves his hand in front of Magnus's face. He tries not to smile, but it doesn't work and his lips creep into a smirk anyway.

"Wha-- Yeah! Sorry." Magnus's face is bright red, Taako could feel the heat from his place couple feet in front of him. "You were just taking a long time." 

"I know. I like to keep people on their toes like that. Need the bathroom?" Taako says, and steps out. "Because it's all yours."

"I..." Magnus tries to say something but gives up, and goes inside.

Taako didn't want to sleep. He knew for a fact that sleeping would be the best way to dodge Magnus's queries, but that wouldn't stop him from avoiding the unevitable nightmares. He has priorites, you know.

So instead of sleeping he sits on the couch, and stares at the floor, playing with the hem of his shirt that is far too long for him.

Magnus, after a few moments, reemerges from the bathroom. His face is wet, not like he had been crying, but like he threw water into his face to wake himself up.

Not a good sign.

Taako was in for the long run.

Magnus sits on the couch next to him. They sat in silence, they both knew what was next.

"What do you steal for?" Magnus asks, it was absentminded, like he was trying to make this conversation easier.

"What's that supposed to mean? I have to have a reason? I can't just steal to steal?"

"No. Good people don't steal to steal. They steal to live, they steal because they want to help someone, they steal for a reason."

Taako scoffs. "How do you know I'm good?" 

"Call it a gut feeling."

Magnus grins a perfect smile that makes Taako feel comfortable, like he doesn't have to worry. Maybe this conversation won't go as badly as he thought.

Taako ever so slightly smiles back. "I don't steal just to steal... My life of crime began as a way to live... But Lucretia found me and now I'm a part of the Bureau of Balance. We steal from the rich, give to the poor. Robin Hood-esque or whatever."

"Hmm. Told you." Magnus says, nudging Taako with his elbow.

"Ah, fuck off." But he is smiling anyway.

"What... Why did the building explode? You said not to. That's what you were talking about, isn't it?"

Taako takes a deep breath. "They found the bombs. When they tampered with them, they exploded. If they let us go and left the bombs alone for us to deactivate they would have been fine." He tries to sound as confident as possible, but it was a bit difficult while looking at Magnus. 

Magnus looked horrified. "You-- You were the ones who put the bombs in there. They just didn't want to be hurt! You can't blame them when in the end it was you."

Taako sat there. He didn't move. 

When Taako didn't respond Magnus continued. "I know they didn't deserve the money. There are people out there who deserve it more. But they didn't... didn't deserve to die!"

Magnus somehow hadn't raised his voice during this conversation, but that wouldn't stop Taako from raising his.

"Don't you think I know that?!"

Magnus's mouth snaps shut.

"Don't you think I _know_ it's my fault. I shouldn't have talked to you. I shouldn't have fucked up the job. But I did. People are dead now. I helped kill them. And it sucks! The _least_  you could let me do is pretend I didn't so I don't have to live with anymore guilt than I already do."

Taako doesn't know when he stood up, but he slumps back down on the couch. 

Once again they are silent.

Suddenly, Taako gets up. "I'm going to bed."

"Wait." Magnus grabs his shirt before he can go. "I'm sorry."

Taako doesn't look back at him, but he sighs in defeat. "Come on." He says, and leads Magnus to bed.

"Are you coming with us?" Taako slips under the covers.

Magnus nods slowly. "If you'll have me." He doesn't make a move to get in bed.

"Sap." Taako says. "What are you waiting for? Get in."

Magnus doesn't need to be told twice, he flops onto the bed face first. Not bothering with the duvet that was now stuck underneath him.

Taako scoffs,  "Get under the covers, what are you doing?"

Magnus just grunts into the pillow, he doesn't move.

Had it been Merle who pulled shit like that he would have kicked him off the bed, but he decided to go easy on the new guy. He may as well, they were a team now.

"Night, Taako." Magnus says, his words muffled by the pillow in his face.

"Night."


End file.
